Which Shiga attractions would you like to see?

Explore the keep and garden at Hikone Castle or the temple grounds at Ishiyamadera. Choose Hachiman-bori for a canal-side walk through old streets, or Lake Biwa Museum for exhibits about the lake's fish and the lives of people around it. Ishiyamadera buses leave from Ishiyama Station; museum buses leave from Kusatsu Station. Check each museum's official opening calendar for your date, including Hikone Castle Museum.

Attraction fees, hours and directions

Attractions

Hikone Castle

彦根城

Explore Hikone Castle's keep, then walk Genkyuen Garden for castle views across the pond. The approach and keep interior have steep steps. Castle/Genkyuen and castle museum tickets have different fees; choose your visiting scope before checking prices below.

AdmissionCastle/Genkyuen: ordinary JPY 1,000, elementary/junior high school students JPY 300. Same-day combined admission including the castle museum: ordinary JPY 1,500, elementary/junior high school students JPY 550. On another day, ordinary individual museum admission is JPY 700, making castle plus museum JPY 1,700.
Hours08:30–17:00, with admission until 16:30. Combined tickets may be unavailable during museum closures or exhibition changes.
Museum hours differFrom October 2026, March–November hours are 09:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30); December–February hours are 09:00–16:30 (last admission 16:00). Do not apply the castle's 08:30 opening to the museum. Official museum guide, checked 2026-10-09.
Getting thereThe official walk from JR Hikone Station to the castle takes about 15 minutes. Use the west exit and walk towards the castle, checking the entrance and ticket office on the on-site map. Queues and the keep ascent are extra; the approach has steps and slopes.
Extra visiting conditionsDo not apply castle opening times to the museum. Museum closures/exhibition changes may affect combined-ticket sales and available visits.

Official museum guide2026-10-09Hikone Castle visitor guide2026-10-08Hikone Castle access2026-10-09

Visit Hikone Castle →Keep and garden highlights Official museum guide Current Hikone city information Official access One night, two days with Hikone Castle and museum Two nights, three days A · Hikone Castle, canal and departure-day castle-town streets Hikone Castle day trip from Kusatsu Three nights, four days B · Hikone base for castle, canal and museum Four nights, five days A · Four attractions from one southern base Four nights, five days B · Two Hikone nights, then a Kusatsu hotel move

Attractions

Ishiyamadera Temple

石山寺

Explore Ishiyamadera, traditionally associated with The Tale of Genji and Murasaki Shikibu. See the National Treasure main hall and pagoda and large rocks in the grounds. Main hall inner sanctuary admission is extra beyond ordinary temple entry, and ceremonies may suspend it.

AdmissionOrdinary temple entry costs JPY 600; junior/senior high school students pay JPY 350; elementary students pay JPY 250. Main hall inner sanctuary ordinary admission is JPY 500 and Hozoden admission is JPY 300, separate from temple entry; seasonal combined tickets also exist.
Hours08:00–16:30, last temple entry 16:00. Inner sanctuary 09:00–16:00, with ceremony-related pauses and suspension dates.
Getting thereFrom JR Ishiyama Station bay 1, take Kojaku Bus route 1, 4, 14, 52, 54 or 55 to Ishiyamadera Sanmon-mae. The ride takes about 10 minutes; adult fare is JPY 250 one way. Return on an Ishiyama Station-bound bus from Sanmon-mae stop 2. From Keihan Ishiyamadera Station, walk about 10 minutes.
Extra visiting conditionsCheck the Ishiyama Station-bound return from Sanmon-mae stop 2; it differs from Otsu-bound services. Check inner sanctuary suspensions during ceremonies.

Current fees and exceptions2026-10-09Official bus guide2026-10-09Kojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 20262026-10-08Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 22026-10-08Station walk2026-10-08

Visit Ishiyamadera Temple →Main hall, pagoda and grounds highlights Murasaki Shikibu and the temple Current fees and exceptions Official bus guide Kojaku Bus fare table Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae Station walk One night, two days with Ishiyamadera and museum Two nights, three days with a temple return trip from Kusatsu Three nights, four days A · Kusatsu base for southern attractions and Hikone Castle Four nights, five days A · Four attractions from one southern base Four nights, five days B · Two Hikone nights, then a Kusatsu hotel move

Attractions

Hachiman-bori Canal

八幡堀

Walk Hachiman-bori for storehouses, white-walled historic houses and stone-paved streets beside the canal. Explore on foot or take a boat for views from the water. For a boat, check the operator's landing, times and fares separately.

AdmissionStation–canal buses cost JPY 520 return per adult. Boats and paid facilities are separate; boat tickets are excluded from the basic walking plan. Check each boat operator's landing, fare and times if interested.
HoursThe canal walking area has no regular closure day, but shops and boats have individual operating days and hours.
Getting thereTake the appropriate bus from Omihachiman Station's north exit to Hachiman-bori (Osugicho) Hachimanyama Ropeway-guchi. Walk directly from the stop to the canal. This covers the canal and historic streets; distinguish it from directions to a boat landing. The operator's seven-minute station–stop ride estimate excludes waits, walks and meals.
Extra visiting conditionsCheck canal-bound and station-bound buses for your date. For a boat, check each operator's landing, operating days, fares and reservation conditions separately.

Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetable2026-10-09Hachiman-bori access2026-10-08

Visit Hachiman-bori Canal →Official Omihachiman city tourism guide Ohmi bus bays, fares and return timetables Hachiman-bori day trip from Hikone Three nights, four days B · Hikone base for castle, canal and museum Four nights, five days with four attractions from Kusatsu Four nights, five days B · Two Hikone nights, then a Kusatsu hotel move

Attractions

Lake Biwa Museum

滋賀県立琵琶湖博物館

Visit Lake Biwa Museum for fish living in Lake Biwa · 琵琶湖 and life around its shores. See freshwater tanks alongside lifestyle and history exhibitions. Permanent and special exhibition fees are separate; check return buses from Kusatsu Station and closure dates.

AdmissionPermanent-exhibition admission is JPY 840 at the ordinary rate; university students pay JPY 470; senior high school students and people under 18 enter free. Ordinary special-exhibition admission is JPY 340, charged separately.
Hours09:30–17:00, last admission 16:00. Closed Mondays except public holidays. Check the calendar for temporary closures.
Getting thereFrom JR Kusatsu Station west exit bay 2, take an Ohmi bus to Lake Biwa Museum, getting off at the museum stop after about 25 minutes. Walk to the museum. Adult bus fares are JPY 480 one way or JPY 960 return, separate from admission. Search outward and return services together for your date.
Extra visiting conditionsCheck public-holiday Monday opening and temporary closures in your date's calendar. Permanent admission, separate special exhibition admission and return bus fares are different costs.

Official Ohmi bus guide2026-10-09Lake Biwa Museum fees2026-10-09Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar2026-10-08Museum access2026-10-09Outward service2026-10-08Return service2026-10-08

Visit Lake Biwa Museum →Freshwater exhibitions Museum permanent exhibition sections Official Ohmi bus guide Admission Opening calendar Access One night, two days with Lake Biwa Museum on departure day Two nights, three days B · Kusatsu base for temple and indoor exhibitions Three nights, four days A · Kusatsu base for southern attractions and Hikone Castle Four nights, five days A · Four attractions from one southern base Four nights, five days moving hotels from Hikone to Kusatsu

Frequently asked questions

Which ticket includes Hikone Castle Museum?

Choose ordinary JPY 1,000 admission for castle/Genkyuen only. For the museum on the same day too, the combined ticket costs JPY 1,500; on separate days, JPY 1,000 castle/Genkyuen plus JPY 700 individual museum admission totals JPY 1,700. Check museum visits and combined-ticket sales during closures/exhibition changes.

Hikone Castle visitor guide2026-10-08Official museum guide2026-10-09

Does Lake Biwa Museum open Mondays?

Usually closed Mondays, but open on public holidays. Temporary closures are possible; check your date in the official calendar.

Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar2026-10-08

Do I need a boat ticket to walk around Hachiman-bori?

You do not need a boat ticket for a walk. If you want to ride a boat, check the operator's boarding point, sailing times, fares and reservation conditions. The ¥520 return bus fare between Omihachiman Station and Hachiman-bori does not include a boat ride.

Hachiman-bori access2026-10-08Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetable2026-10-09

Official sources and check dates

Museum access · 2026-10-09
Hachiman-bori access · 2026-10-08
Hikone Castle access · 2026-10-09
Kojaku Bus revised fares, March 1, 2026 · 2026-10-08
Ishiyama Station-bound timetable from Sanmon-mae stop 2 · 2026-10-08
Hachiman-bori bus fares and return timetable · 2026-10-09
Hikone Castle visitor guide · 2026-10-08
Official museum guide · 2026-10-09
Current fees and exceptions · 2026-10-09
Official bus guide · 2026-10-09
Station walk · 2026-10-08
Official Ohmi bus guide · 2026-10-09
Lake Biwa Museum fees · 2026-10-09
Lake Biwa Museum opening calendar · 2026-10-08
Outward service · 2026-10-08
Return service · 2026-10-08